The present invention relates to a switching device having an improved operation structure of a contact.
In general, there has hitherto been provided a switching device with a case housing a stationary contact, a movable contact, and a spring for bringing the movable contact into or out of contact with the stationary contact, wherein a rod-shaped movable element is provided so as to penetrate through the case and wherein, as a result of the movable element being movably operated, the movable contact is moved relatively to the stationary contact, to thus come into or out of contact with the stationary contact (see JP-A-2005-235632).
The switching device of the above configuration is used; for example, as a stop lamp switch for a vehicle (a vehicle stop lamp switch), and lubricating oil applied to various mechanical sections and inorganic and organic substances included in products are present around the vehicle stop lamp switch. In contrast, in the related-art switching device, the lubricating oil and extraneous matters, such as inorganic and organic substances, intrude into the case from an area where the movable element is inserted. The thus-intruded lubricating oil or the extraneous matters adhere to a space between the movable contact and the stationary contact, which may especially raise a problem of an electrical conduction failure between the contacts being induced by a silicone component.